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Work accident kills man, leads to fines for company

On behalf of Ganly & Ramer, P.L.L.C. posted in Workplace Accidents on Monday, September 23, 2013.

When someone heads out the door to work, their family members expect them to return home in about eight hours. When they don't due to an accident at work, this can be a distressing experience. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently fined one trucking company in North Carolina after a man died there this year in a work accident.

The victim was a 22-year-old man who was working beneath the front part of a tractor-trailer. That's when the tractor-trailer fell on the worker and pinned him down. The company at which he worked has received citations for two serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as one violation that was not deemed serious.

The citations have resulted in fines totaling $2,700. According to OSHA, the company was found to be in violation of several federal regulations, including not providing a hazard assessment for employees who donned personal protective equipment as well as not having a hazardous materials policy. The purpose of the fines is to penalize the company that is in violation as well as to capture similar companies' attention.

The family of the man who died in the tractor-trailer accident likely has the right to receive benefits under the worker's compensation insurance program in North Carolina. When a family loses a loved one to a work accident, they also might be able to pursue a wrongful death claim against any negligent third parties. It is within their rights to seek legal guidance so that they understand the options available to them as they seek closure in this type of tragic situation.

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